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Leadership U

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Leadership U is a program in which four YEA members are selected for an ASHRAE Winter or Annual Conference to be matched up with Society Officers and participate in all of their events and board meetings, including social activities. Leadership U not only allows these young professionals to experience a conference like an Officer, but it is also a great opportunity to network and form connections with those active in ASHRAE.

If you have questions about Leadership U, please contact YEA at youngengineers@ashrae.org or 678-539-1178.

2025 Winter Leadership U Participants
Erica Powell, Southern Piedmont Chapter, Region IV
Aaron Besseling, Hamilton Chapter, Region II
Patrick Ryan, Central Illinois Chapter, Region VI
Joel Deddens, Louisville, RegionVII

Program Overview

  • If selected to participate in the program, you will have the costs of attending the conference (transportation, lodging and registration) covered by ASHRAE Society. Transportation includes the cost of your flight or gas mileage – whichever is less. Your hotel room will be covered for check in on Friday, and check out on Thursday. You will be registered for the conference and the Welcome Party, President's Luncheon, Members Night Out. Expenses not covered by the program include baggage fees, parking, taxis/public transportation, and food.
  • Those selected to participate in the program will document their experiences and share them with the YEA Committee, their Chapter and their Region.
  • The Leadership U Program Definition document provides a complete overview of the program.

Application Review

Applications are reviewed using a scoring system that awards a dedicated number of points to each question/qualification. In order to be considered for selection, an applicant must tally a minimum number of points. The scores from each reviewer are compiled and the four applicants with the highest scores are selected.

Program Requirements

The goal of Leadership U is to provide current YEA leaders with the opportunity to develop their knowledge and inspire their continued ASHRAE leadership. In order to qualify for selection, Leadership U applicants must meet the following requirements.
Required :

  • ASHRAE chapter leadership
  • Attendance at an ASHRAE Annual or Winter Conference. (Exceptions may be made if an applicant has fulfilled all other requirements and their score qualifies them for selection.)

Recommended :

  • ASHRAE Regional leadership
  • ASHRAE Society leadership, which can include Technical Committee participation
  • Attendance at YEA Leadership Weekend or YEA Leadership International

In addition, your application will be reviewed based on your responses to the non-experience questions on the application: your overall YEA participation, how ASHRAE has benefitted you, your interest in participating in Leadership U, and your aspirations within ASHRAE.

Apply Now

Applications for the 2026 Winter Conference in Las Vegas will open July 1st, 2025!

Feedback from Previous Leadership U Participants

“It is hard to point out the one biggest take-away because I learned a lot, made new connections, and found myself a long-term mentor in ASHRAE. If I have to pick out the most valuable thing, it would be the passion and devotion I saw from a lot of the members, including my mentor, and how they use that as the base to collaborate with others from all different backgrounds.”

Yunzhi (Lucy) Huang

“It's an amazing opportunity. You get the chance to see how the higher levels of ASHRAE work. Leadership U allowed me to form a personal connection with the VP I shadowed and opened up an incredible chance for networking opportunities. I finished the conference on a first name basis with the four VPs, the Treasurer, the President Elect, and the President!”

Burns Bradford

“I am extremely thankful for the opportunity to participate in the Leadership U program. Being able to experience Dan Pettway’s ASHRAE involvement, meet Society level leaders, and absorb some of the their expertise made participation in this program an invaluable experience. Plus, I am really excited to be able to call myself a member of the ‘Leadership U Alumni’ club!”

Jessica Mangler

“I always wondered who made the high level decisions and now I know who they are! It typically starts with the president or a technical group and then it is raised before the board. I know a lot of the board members and it was interesting to learn how they make decisions that affect the entire industry, usually with success, even if it takes a long time. The best part is that they are all volunteers.”

Rachel Romero

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